"It's not you, it's me." - Jesus

“If the world hates you, understand that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of it, the world hates you."

John 15:18-19

Ugh. From the very first line, this blog post has me feeling kinda blah. I know the verse above to be trustworthy on so many personal levels, but still. Writing it out for the world to see is depressing to another degree.

But stick with me!

It's also comforting. That's actually the real reason behind this post in the first place. Have you been rejected by friends lately for holding firm to a biblical worldview and not caving to the pressures of culture? Are family members refusing to speak to you because you exude WAY too much Jesus and make them feel uncomfortable in their own skin? Have you been "flagged" by a teacher for ever so gently pushing back on social agendas as they sneakily make their way into your schoolwork? Have you been called unfair names and been accused of false motives based on the work you are doing for the Kingdom? All are tough situations, no doubt, and there are plenty of others I could name.

So why then did I say this post is even remotely comforting on any level?

Because the people causing you the greatest difficulty in your life based solely on your Christianity (and, yes, many of them are the ones that are supposed to be the closest to you) do not really hate you. They are rejecting you as an outward display of their hatred of Christ. You just happen to be a tangible outlet that is right in front of their face. Take comfort in that somehow, my friends, because it ain't you... IT'S HIM.

Oh my word, nothing makes people angrier than a Christian dropping some rock-solid, time-tested, scholar-proven, bible-based truth when they themselves are bound and determined in their rejection of it. Do not tell me that my feelings are liars! Do not tell me that my emotions deceive me! Do not tell me that there is objective truth when EVERYTHING is relative to each individual based on their lived experience! Oh boy. Messing with people's moral relativism these days is akin to lighting a stick of dynamite and chucking it into the middle of their living room.

Even so, the fight for objectively true biblical standards must rage on. Why? Because people don't fully understand the decaying effects of their sin (Psalm 32:3). They don't understand how serious an offense each and every sin they commit is against our holy God (Romans 1:18). They don't understand how destructive the nature of sin is in their lives and how difficult disentangling themselves from it will be in the future (Ephesians 2:1-3).

There are two groups of people to whom I will refer as we go on. The first are who I like to call the tried and true believers ("tried and trues") who actually make strides to live holy and set apart from the remainder of society in terms of their actions, behaviors, attitudes, morals, etc. The second are the lukewarm believers ("lukewarms") who basically spend much of their time just trying to fit in with society so as not to draw any attention to themselves if they can possibly stand it, especially (heaven forbid) from a spiritual standpoint. I will try to make clear to whom I am writing at any point.

"...and don’t give the devil an opportunity."

Ephesians 4:27

Paul states this passage in a lesson specifically on anger. However, since all scripture is God-inspired and good for our learning (2 Timothy 3:16-17), I think it's safe to relate it to all sin. Lukewarms, when your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, class mates, etc., who are the tried and trues, live their lives differently than you do because they intimately know scripture and therefore God's commands for what we ought and ought not do, try not to take it as a personal affront.

Or do... whatever.

But also just know that these people who you look at through half-squinted eyes know all too well that giving Satan an opportunity by willingly opening themselves up to unbiblical behaviors will result in Satan using that to relentlessly exploit them later. They also know that about the unbiblical behaviors you are entertaining as well. Maybe just cut them some slack and realize Who it is that you are really irritated with. (Hint: John 15:18-19 from above).

"And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive,"

"Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them."

Romans 1:28 & 32 (Amplified Version)

In other versions, "enthusiastically approve and tolerate" is stated as "have pleasure in" (KJV), "encourage others to" (NLT), "hand out prizes to" (MSG), and "give hearty approval to" (NASB 1995).

There's no denying, these are tough verses. To my tried and trues, we know that the latter part of Romans 1 was written about the ancient Gentile world. We also know that it could just as easily have been written yesterday about our contemporary society. Even though it's increasingly tough to do so, be glad about your unwillingness to give hearty approval to sin.

Do not allow the professing Christians who are half-hearted and lackadaisical to shame you into compliance with the go along to get along rhetoric. Keep standing firm, determining to "be holy as He is holy" (Leviticus 11:44; 11:45; 19:2; 20:7) because whether you know it or not, you are shining a light of difference in an otherwise dark place. Oh you may be called a prudish, goody-goody, pious, moralist killjoy, but dang it, you are the bravest person in the room and don't ever forget it.

Lukewarms, you may read Romans 1 and think, "Well, that's just hateful and I don't serve that kind of God." Funny, we (tried and trues) don't either!

The God we serve created a perfect world with perfect people, perfect animals, perfect nature and perfect sustenance. And wouldn't you know it, it was the people that went and screwed the whole thing up.

We brought judgement on our OWN heads and by doing so, we ALL deserve death! But since we're cowardly and love a scapegoat, God sent one for us so that we don't have to. That's right, He goes by Jesus, and He died in our stead.

When Adam and Eve went their own way, they totally fractured their ability to freely approach God. Now, by default, everyone born of Adam and Eve (that's all of humanity) have inherited that same fracture at birth. Why? Because our almighty, holy God will not tolerate sin in His presence and so, just by being born, our sin nature separates us from Him. However, he loved us SO much that He created a way for humanity to again be reconciled to Him once more. You got it, Jesus.

So all this talk about how hateful God is for not allowing people to just revel in whatever debauchery their little hearts desire is complete bunk and you know it. No one has ever loved you or me like God did (and does) because He definitely could have let us all slip right into hell as we rightly deserve. But nope, the free gift of salvation and subsequent transformation is just out there waiting to be taken hold of. Thank you, Jesus!

Let's talk a sec about that last transformation part. Here's the sitch. True salvation comes as a packaged deal that includes the filling of the Holy Spirit who convicts us of our sins and helps us on our journey plus a strong desire to engage in a relationship with Jesus. Some of you lukewarms are currently being convicted of sins, but you are suppressing the Spirit because of the change it will mean for you life. "That's just too much hard work at this point in my life. I am who I am. Take me or leave me." Any of that sound like you? Unfortunately you are free to continue to put off the Holy Spirit's voice because God gave us the free will to do so, but you are missing the ginormous blessing on the other side of obedience. Maybe instead of being constantly annoyed with the tried and trues around you ("Ugh! They're just so rigid!"), at the very least give them props for "working out their salvation with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12) because that's something you are currently too afraid to do.

"Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”"

John 3:3

A good guide to recognize whether you are genuinely born again contains the following: continual recognition of sins (voice of the Holy Spirit indwelling inside you), asking forgiveness through honest prayer, actually turning away from them with the intent to not repeat. Then, pursuing a relationship with Jesus in all sorts of ways including attending worship, being discipled, reading scripture, praying, serving, etc. will naturally follow as well. Tried and trues have experienced the born again transformation in their lives because they courageously stepped out when God called them to.

Being born again or not, that's truly the difference maker in our ability to see the world through the spiritual eyes of Christ and ceasing to give enthusiastic approval and tolerance to sin in our own lives first, followed by those we love.

Yep, one of these days you lukewarms might just become those same "killjoys" you rail against, but I can guarantee you'll never be a more peaceful one. ("Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble." Psalm 119:165)

Any grievances you have about what I have shared should be directed to the actual source of your aggravation. This is straight up biblical truth, not an opinion made up by some "holier-than-thou" Christian you know. I just ask that you begin to really grasp in Whom your frustrations really lie. I guarantee He can handle whatever you bring Him and will welcome the chance at conversation with you! 

Why am I so passionate about and speak so directly to the lukewarms of the world? Well, first off I used to be the worst one. Second, it's because of the life and death importance of my next statement.

The more you willingly give yourself over to your choice sin (and the more you give approval to those who do), the darker your mind will become toward the things of God which of course include His standards for righteous living unmistakably laid out for us in scripture.

"For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,"

"For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened."

Romans 1:18 &21

Did you catch that? "For though they KNEW God... their senseless hearts were darkened."

Ignoring sin for long enough places your heart in a very dangerous place and chances are you may have a loved one or close friend in the tried and true department who excruciatingly knows it. What you probably don't get is that this loved one or friend, whose life prompts nothing but eye rolls from you, may be prayerfully asking God the Father to bring you back into a posture of conviction and repentance every. single. day. What seems judgy and critical to you is actually just them trying to live out Godly standards in the face of opposition to show you a better way. Who do you honestly think is having a harder time in your interactions? Here's your clue:

"You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

John 16:33

Lukewarms, you are not the "you" in the verse above. You are not the ones experiencing the suffering in your interactions with the tried and trues. You are warm, cozy and comfortable in the choices you are making. It is those of us who strive to live counter-culturally who get knots in our stomachs and lose sleep over what we know will be yet another opportunity for us to be laughed at and secretly ridiculed behind our backs. So you may decide to celebrate your freedom of choice all you want, but don't make the mistake of thinking you are truly suffering from the likes of the tried and trues around you while doing so. No, it's definitely the opposite.

Important to note: we are more than our morality. That's right. We are way more valuable to God than the bad choices we make. There is no denying that at all. However, there's a fine line between "God loves me no matter what." and "God loves me no matter what, so it's game on." Lukewarms, you maybe want to perform a sniff test on that last one and pass it by scripture first before making it your life's mantra. ("Guard your heart above all else, for it is the source of life." Proverbs 4:23)

My fellow tried and trues who are out there every day getting mocked, made fun of, laughed at, ridiculed and parodied, y'all inspire me. I am going to leave you with this last passage as an "atta-girl or boy" and just implore you to keep it up as I myself strive to do the same, come what may.

"My son, don’t forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commands;

for they will bring you

many days, a full life, and well-being."

"Don’t be wise in your own eyes;

fear the Lord and turn away from evil.

This will be healing for your body

and strengthening for your bones."

Proverbs 3:1-2 & 7-8

You can keep your popularity contests, I'll take a full life, well-being, healing for my body and strengthening for my bones ALLLL day. Who's with me?